I have been asked to join my old Animal Rescue New Orleans Team in Iowa at the end of this week and or next week to help rescue animal trapped and affected by the flooding.
Do you know of anyone Reliable from around here going there to help with the flooding? So far I am the only person from Montana that will be deploying from this group.
I have checked with the Billings HSUS but they haven't been deployed there yet and aren't on standby. The HSUS is in a different area then my Team will be.
Thank You

[This message has been edited by snickers (edited 6/16/2008).]

Best wishes on your journey!

{{{{{{MCGirl}}}}}}
Hopefully I can find a ride there as the email tonight said that they are short on volunteers.

I forgot to say Thanks to the person that emailed me

Drop me a note when you get here.

You're a very kind soul for doing this work.

-Dano in Des Moines

I'll try to but may not be able to. I think I might know who you are. I just emailed you through here.
I know this is a lot different situation then NOLA but either way I am not one to stand around and do nothing.
In situations like this usually you don't have time.
In New Orleans we got home at 10-11 pm after we loaded the animals rescued that day onto the semi to Mississippi. We had to be back at 5-6 am if we weren't sleeping at the rescue station. Some night the shelters in MS were to full so we had to sleep with the critters at the rescue station(street corner} where we had them in kennels to be picked up. . During the day you ate power bars ( all 3 meals) while driving in the rescue trucks. I was lucky there as a lady returning found a bunny and brought it to the rescue and found out that everyone was sleeping on the street and let me stay with her.
I am assuming that there we will be sleeping in tents at the rescue center.
I do have a contact person that will take me from Ill to Iowa if I can get there.

In NOLA I only saw 1 cow, 1 pig and a couple of horses. I am assuming that there will be way more large animals that need rescued. I don't only volunteer just to help the animals but the people whose animals we rescued have been eternally grateful. The sad part was the people that waiting in the mornings to find out who would be going to the area that they lived. They would cry as they asked us to please check their house. When we came back at 10pm they would be waiting sometimes for any news of their pet. For as long as a year later I still received phone calls and emails from people that were looking for their lost pet. I do know lots has changed since then so that most people are able to take their pets with them to the shelters.
But a rescue story I heard last night from a source was that a man and his daughter were evacuating and went to check out some whining. It was 2 dogs that the owners had placed in a barn while they were sand bagging and the water rose to fast and they were able to rescue and return both dogs.
The dispatch email tonight said that our teams are at this time are being placed down river ready to evacuate if and when the water hits our designated areas.
But they are stressing that nothing is for sure and that we will be going where ever we are needed depending on the water
I haven't watched TV for about a week but I am going now to watch the TV and see if there is any updates on how bad that is there.

Snickers,

Send me some pictures, and I will make sure they get posted on Miles City Voice. Best of luck.

I will Brian If I do get to go there.
In NOLA I was messing with my cheap camera I had taken on the night before I left and deleted all my pics. Lucky I found pics posted on the net of me so I did get some that other people had taken.
I have a better camera now.
Ps I told Deb that I would redo the auction for Relay of Life fliers for East Main Animal Clinic tomorrow night on the puter if they needed me to.

I am still looking for a way to Iowa.
My sister saw my post here and emailed me some suggestions that I am checking on but so far nothing

Hope you find something.

[This message has been edited by Brian (edited 6/19/2008).]

I am orginally from Iowa and moved to Miles City last September. My mom called me last week saying that 6 tornados touched down around their farm and destroyed one farm in the area. She said nearly everybody's fields are under water, thankfully my parent's field isn't. Everybody in my family farms, land and cattle. 75 of the 99 counties in Iowa are considered disaster areas. They are considering this the 500 year flood.

{{{{{{Ashley and your family}}}}}}}} I hope everyone you know stays safe.


I came home tonight and there was a note on my door from someone that must know me pretty well because they called me by my nickname. It gave me a number to call. I spoke with a nice lady who said they are going next Thurs and she would ask her husband if there was room for me.
I only spoke to her briefly but she has my phone number.

The only bad part is that the animal rescue may be over at that point.
Here is the group that asked me to volunteer for them. They did the coordination for the Animal Rescue New Orleans
http://www.kinshipcircle.org/disasters/


I even stop that the Armory today to see if they knew of any one going that way.

I am still keeping my fingers crossed that I will find a ride in the next few days. I am going to pack and get the last few things I need so that I will be ready


Here is the update from tonight

OAKVILLE FLOOD: Yesterday (6/18) a Kinship/Best Friends boat crew got on the water for the first time, to assess how many animals may be trapped. About 25 animals were rescued from flooded areas and five were reunited with their families. Rescued Oakville animals were brought to Mediapolis
Veterinary Clinic and Des Moines County Animal Shelter, in Burlington, Iowa area. Neither shelter is in overflow yet.

Boat rescuers expect to wrap-up in Oakville some time tomorrow (6/20). They anticipate heading to Lee County Fairgrounds staging area to assess animal situation in Burlington, Iowa (below).

BURLINGTON FLOOD: Burlington filled with water only yesterday, making it too dangerous to go in on boats. We believe KC/BF boat team will leave Oakville tomorrow to set up in Burlington area for assessment and rescue.



Ps Thank You to whoever left me the note on my door

In packing there are a few things that I am missing that I would like to either borrow or buy from anyone if I do get to go. I am going to check with the people that I borrowed the stuff from last time and see if they still have it. Most of the water was out of New Orleans by the time I got there so I didn't need the water gear by the time I did get there.

It does have to be in perfect shape

hip waders or a dry suit - not a wet suit
life vest Personal flotation device
small Axe
FRS GMRS radios I think I can reborrow from the same person I did before
helmet- I think I might be able to re-borrow this also. I do have the Hard hat type and I can make due with that
Water proof/ Muck boots- Knee high- I will buy these as I have a tendency to wear them out really fast.

You can email me through here. If I do go I can let you know right before I leave and I will return items as soon as I get home and unpack.

Thank You

PBS has a special right now where they were rescuing pigs
This isn't the one I just watched but it is sad so don't read it if you can't handle it
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25258516/


Here is a field update from Best Friends. They are with the group I am going with

http://news.bestfriends.o...st&sf=3568
http://news.bestfriends.o...54A1E16E1B

[This message has been edited by snickers (edited 6/20/2008).]

[This message has been edited by snickers (edited 6/20/2008).]

Just wanted to Thank Everyone that tried to help me get to Iowa. The update I received from the rescue last night stated the river is receding in the areas we were covering in Iowa so they won't be needing any more volunteers. So I won't be going there to help.

I am hoping for the best for everyone who was affected by the flooding and everyone who has family there. I know they will have a long clean up ahead of them.

Thanks again everyone

[b]WHAT ABOUT THE KITTENS? WHOSE GOING TO SAVE THOSE BABY KITTENS, FLOATING ON ROOF SHINGLES IN THE MISSOURI RIVER?!?




I'll be glad to help on the kitten problem, ma'am...

LOL Gunner The guys in the nice matching outfits (Best Friends) in the links above already did that. I would have been behind them helping try and rescue the livestock. It is Crappy volunteer work but someone has to do it
Ps It was the Mississippi that was flooding in Iowa

[This message has been edited by snickers (edited 6/22/2008).]